Absolution
by rubyshards
Summary: [Chap. three up] AU. CloudxLeon, SephirothxCloud. Freedom has always been something that Cloud has desired. But when the chance finally presents itself, he learns that it's harder to reach than what he had anticipated.
1. Of Failed Escapes and Broken Bones

**Absolution - Version 1.0**

_Summary: AU. CloudxLeon, SephirothxCloud. Freedom has always been something that Cloud has desired. But when the chance finally presents itself, he learns that it's harder to reach than what he had anticipated, the Darkness whispering seducing words in his ear and the military hot on his trail making life a little rough._

_Warnings: Yaoi (malexmale relationships), cursing, violence, dark content, future of lime content, possible lemon_

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The nights of Twilight Town were definitely far different from the light facade that the city put on during the day. It was a known fact amongst the people that inhabited the large, towering city that it never really lived up to the names that it had been issued, "Town of Dreams" in being one; no one really kept their dreams alive once they had spent over a year or so living in the city itself. Old, crumbling buildings littered the ground haphazardly, as if the people constructing them had suddenly become bored with their job and dropped the task before it could even be finished. An array of trash also lay scattered throughout the streets and the alleyways, the latter of the two filled so full with discarded junk and clothes and people that it was almost impossible to walk through it. When peering through the veil of darkness brought on by the night, these things became a reality, and the "Town of Dreams" seemed to be more of a Town of Nightmares to the people unfortunate enough to fall into poverty.

During the day, however, Twilight Town actually lived up to its name. Large businesses and fancy restaurants littered nearly every corner of every perfectly paved street, each building towering high over the head's of any who walked beside them. A line of expensive hotels and theaters designed for the great were littered sporadically throughout the city, welcoming the wealthy with their rich colors and attractive lights to come and spend their money away. Business officials and military commanders made up a vast majority of Twilight Town's "richer" population, and markets designed just for their type were placed in neat little rows amongst the food markets and clothing markets as if war and fighting were a daily part of everyone's life, just as the necessities of clothing and food were a daily part of everyone's life. That was the mentality in all of Twilight Town and the surrounding cities; "fight to survive"; "survival of the fittest"; "if you aren't rich, then you fall into the trap known as despair and are better off living on the streets than polluting the government and military with your idiocy." Thriving markets, renowned restaurants and glittering theaters forgotten, the town became more of a place for the riffraff of the slums rather than the high-class officials that occupied its streets during the daylight hours. Gangs and renegade soldiers littered the streets, and blood was such a common occurrence that the nightwalkers even forgot to be afraid.

Twilight Town, essentially, lived up to its name of being trapped into its own warped vision of twilight; it possessed a light side and a dark side, much like the myths from the past said that the heart held. A Darkness, and a Light. Night and Day. Despair and Hope.

Twilight Town was equally famous for both of its sides.

That was why it was no surprise to anyone nearby when a loud _thud _echoed throughout the shadowed alley of the side streets, a darkly clad figure tumbling from the second story of the nearest apartment complex and slamming to the ground harshly. The form rolled several feet before coming to an abrupt halt amongst the debris of broken boxes and wooden crates that lingered in the dark, cluttered alleyways, the form remaining limp on the concrete for less than a minute before scrambling to his feet, tearing off down the alley and into the main street as if nothing had ever happened. He kept close to the side of the nearest buildings, half crouching, half running amongst the shadows that tended to gather in places such as those, his body nearly melding into the stone walls in his efforts to remain hidden.

"When the _hell _did these guys get so persistent?" Cloud Strife squeezed the words out around rough pants, the man turning his head to the side and glancing warily over his shoulder in a desperate attempt to find his pursuers. _Good, looks like they can't keep up with the lunatic that jumps off of buildings and onto concrete._ Slender fingers, wrapped in what remained of his torn and tattered leather gloves, reached through the mass of blonde spikes that comprised his hair, running through it as he slowed his pace a little in an effort to conserve his energy. He had been running for nearly an entire day, the exhaustion that was brought about by his constant flight from his pursuers leaving him more than just a little tired and irrate.

Then there was his final problem: where the hell he was going to go. He had no home outside of the military, and he definitely didn't have any remaining family that would be willing to take him in after what the news had been broadcasting all afternoon and well into the night. "Wanted: Man by the name of Cloud Strife, blonde hair, Mako blue eyes, height is around five feet, seven inches. Charged for murder of the highest ranking SOLDIER officer and threats to the government. Is armed and dangerous. Wanted alive for questioning." He could recite the entire commercial by now, a sigh working its way from his supple lips as he ducked once more into the cover of a forgotten alleyway. When had those things been so descriptive? The only information that the commercial had managed to get incorrect about him was the fact that he was allegedly 'armed;' he had been forced to drop his weapon off long ago, leaving it in a place where he could find it later when the pursuit for him had died down to a low hum amongst the population.

The sharp pain still lingering in his ribs from his slightly suicidal leap and the loud rumble of his stomach snapped him out of the daze of thought he had brought himself into, Cloud casting a quick glance around the area to make sure no one else was there before stopping his mad dash entirely. The exhaustion and pain were finally getting the better of him and he slumped back against the dirt and grim covered brick wall, Mako blue eyes slipping shut for a brief moment of relaxation, his senses still alert for any sound that might signal danger in the vicinity.

The blonde let a forced sigh work from his cracked and bloodied lips, his hand working to brush away the trail of crimson that had started there when he had bit his lip during his leap. It was just his luck that the military would find his last hiding place in just two days, a definite new record for the 'retrieval squad,' as the people in the slums referred to them. Apparently some woman that had lived across the street from the abandoned apartment he had taken up as a makeshift home had seen him going into it one night and had decided to call the authorities on him. Damn the authorities and having to mention his eyes and hair; not many people had hair that naturally tried to defy all laws of gravity and blue Mako eyes like his. At least, not since the ban had been placed in the past few years.

He'd just have to be more careful from now on.

Pulling himself away from the wall hesitantly Cloud ran his line of vision along both sides to the alley, weighing his options absently. One way led to where he had just come from, the other leading off in a winding dark path toward only Lifestream knew where, a low growl signaling his frustration with the current situation. Turning his eyes toward the unknown path at his right he cast a long glance at it, inspecting each and every visible area – which was not a lot, really – for any signs of something that could get in his way or prevent him from fleeing if need be. Apart from rows upon rows of garbage along the walls it seemed clear enough and he gave a brief nod, more as an act to confirm his decision in his mind than anything else.

"Well, it'd be better than going back _that _way." Without waiting another second he took off toward the darkness to the right, sprinting and leaping around fallen trash and other discarded items that the people of the town had carelessly decided to toss into it. _Huh. I guess people here are just as bad as people in the slums. _It was almost interesting, how the stories and the tales of Twilight Town being just as horrible as the Midgar slums seemed to be more true than he had taken them as, his lips pulling tautly into a line of concentration as he ran.

If he was lucky, it could find another place to stay for the next few days and recover his lost strength before even attempting at escaping the town, the mere idea of it causing Cloud to frown deeply. Escaping the town was going to be the most difficult obstacle of this damned 'mission;' fleeing from captivity had been one step, managing to avoid being killed by the retrieval squad and making it through Twilight Town was the next, and being able to move on to the next town was the last, final step before he was finally free from the military, captivity and persecutions layered upon him at last.

However, the boundaries around the town were going to make that difficult. The boundaries consisted of rows set up along each and every mile of the town's borders in towering, red brick buildings that seemed to taunt any that tried to leave without authorization from the authorities. Each building was regularly filled with the strongest of SOLDIERs and SeeD from both countries – a claimed method at peace, although Cloud highly doubted that was what it really existed for. SeeD was more or less a branch of SOLDIER, ever since the force behind SOLDIER had bought out the Garden, SeeD's training ground. It had been in a spur of power lust from the corporation, the desire to possess any and all competition that they may face by merely buying out the opposition.

That really never sat well with Balamb, if he could remember right. Balamb, the small harbor town that lay off to the east of Twilight Town – his final destination, actually – was the home founder of Garden, the base created solely for the purpose of training children from a young age, normally around five or six, to become cold-hearted mercenaries – also known as SeeDs. The minute town seemed more or less like a peaceful place to live, if every rumor and tale that Cloud had heard about it had been true. A real place where he could feel his freedom at last, with little rule from the government and more rule from the people.

It sounded like a fantasy that he didn't want to dwell on for too long, for fear of it vanishing into thin air.

Cloud sighed irritably as he leapt over another line of unidentifiable garbage strewn across the length of the alley, the blonde landing soundlessly on his feet before continuing his dash. How long had he been running for, now? Three blocks? Maybe even more? It was getting hard to tell, with the veil of night still lingering overhead and marring his visibility and sense of time. Night in Twilight Town seemed to last longer than night in normal places, or so Cloud had realized, the darkness never really seeming to fully lift from the town and bring about day. The place always seemed to be wrapped in the middle, in twilight, as its name told, the day time bringing about a somewhat lighter and more lively atmosphere and the night bringing forth a dark and dead feeling to the city as the only form of change.

Cloud brought himself to a halt after several minutes, shaking off such notions as nonsense and letting his breath catch up with him, his hand running through his tussled hair and snagging on the knots there. He hadn't had a decent shower in what felt like days, his hair and skin so dirty from his recent dash through the alleyways and forgotten buildings of the town that it was growing uncomfortable. The first thing he wanted to do was have a nice, large meal and take a long hot shower to loosen his tensed muscles. Brushing off his wishes he tilted his head up toward the sky in an effort to check for some sign of change in the time of day, peering for a signal that the night was almost over and the day was coming. If that was the case, he'd have to find somewhere to stay sooner than he was currently moving, or face being caught in the broad daylight.

Unfortunately the towering buildings stood in his way, the blonde groaning inwardly in frustration. "Dammit, how big are these buildings?" The words barely had time to escape his lips before he found himself being grabbed roughly by his left arm and tossed, almost as if he were an unwanted rag doll, against the hard brick wall at his side. A sickeningly loud _crack _exploded in his ears, accompanying his flight across the alley and into the wall, his left arm pinned beneath his body and pressed heavily into the brick surface. Hissing in pain Cloud blinked against the wave of nausea that filled him at the sound, the man forcing it back to try to focus on what had just happened and who was standing merely three or four feet away from him.

"Pretty tall, actually, but you'd have to be standing on top of them to see just how tall." The voice paused in its taunting to be replaced with the casual sound of footsteps in what Cloud could almost refer to as a lazy beat, a snicker filling that laid-back voice and flooding the blonde's ears. "'Makes it a whole lot easier to see people like _you,_" the man jabbed a slender finger at the blonde on the ground, sneer firmly in place,"who are trying to run away from people like _me."_

Cloud choose to ignore the sneer, his mind a blurred haze of a mixture between pain and confusion. Where had this guy come from? He had been doing _perfect_, had managed to escape them hours ago, but here he was, tossed against the wall like the garbage he had fallen into, his arm pressed beneath him in the most painful manner he had ever felt. A sense of worry filled him at the notion of his arm, the blond glancing down at it swiftly out of the corner of his eyes, face contorting into a look of pain and concern at the sight.

His arm . . . Was it supposed to be twisted like that?

"Yo, say something, 'kay? This gets boring if you're just gonna sit there and let me drag you back without some kinda fight." Mustering up his wits Cloud tore his vision away from his left arm, eyes squinting dumbly against his clouded vision to make out the man's form, the blonde cursing inaudibly under his breath. This was definitely not good.

A navy blue jacket was hanging off of the lanky figure's shoulders, unbuttoned and hanging lose around his thin form in a sign of his carefree nature. He wore a matching pair of slacks, also worn in an uncaring manner, and a white undershirt that was revealed by his inability to follow the dress code and properly button his jacket. Spiked red hair sat on top of his head, a ponytail that hung to the small of his back tied at the base of his neck with the longer strands of his renegade hair. A pair of goggles sat, lopsided, across his forehead, almost as if they were there to hold up his hair, and a smirk was plastered onto his light features around a cigarette, green eyes glittering with entertainment at his 'catch.'

Cloud frowned, mind sweeping into a panicked state as instant recognition at the man's uniform flooded into his mind. So one of _those _guys had managed to get to him already? The blue suit and the power that this man held definitely confirmed in Cloud's mind that this man was one of the 'retrieval squad' sent after him in the company's pursuit. He knew that uniform anywhere, had seen it at least a hundred times in the course of his life. That suit had almost become a sure omen that his life was suddenly plummeting from bad to worse in one horrible downward spiral.

"Fuck you." Cloud ground the curse through clenched teeth as his uninjured arm flash over to his other wrist and gripped it lightly, running up and down the majority of it for any signs as to where the break had occurred. _It's definitely not just a hairline fracture; how much force did I hit that damned wall with? _The blonde found his thoughts interrupted by the resuming of footsteps at his side, the man coming to a halt before him and peering down at his wounded form with a look of amusement, laziness and taunting all rolled into one simple gaze. It was obvious that this man was an expert at what he did, Cloud noted, the figure holding the air of a viscous animal about to kill its prey.

It would have been unnerving, were it not for the searing pain in his arm distracting him from such trivial things as being afraid.

"Aw, somebody has such bad language." In one swift motion the red-head had grabbed Cloud's broken arm away from the blonde's tender grasp into his own grip, tossing him to the ground and away from the grim-coated wall with the force of his broken arm, slamming him into the concrete with enough might to knock the wind out of him. Old pain from his abused ribs sent white-hot needles through his chest, Cloud hissing and clutching at his torso futilely, eyes blurred once more from pain. "Look, you're pretty and all," there was a pause before he lifted his foot over Cloud's broken hand, the abused limb splayed over the ground in a perfect position in the man's eyes, the glimmer of a trained assassin doing his job filling his eyes, "and I probably would take you up on that offer under any other circumstances, but I don't really fuck criminals. It's just not my style."

Without warning he brought his foot down on the blonde's hand, the cracking of already damaged bones filling the air and mingling with the screams issuing from Cloud's chest at the eruption of pain that had suddenly filled his entire hand. The man grinned at that, grinding his heel into the delicate flesh before pulling away, a feigned look of innocence and affection flittering onto his face. "Oh, I'm sorry . . . Did I hurt you?" The man leaned forward, a smirk taking over his lips and showing off the air of ignorance that the man bore oh so well. "That looks pretty damned painful, if you ask me. I think you'd better get it looked at before it gets even worse, yo."

Cloud didn't even hear what the man had to say, despite the closeness between them. All he knew was that everything in his body _hurt_, more so than it ever had before. His arm, his hand, his ribs, the center of his chest . . .

_"Use it, precious."_

A growl escaped from the blonde's throat, his Mako tinted eyes squinting shut as he tried to block it all out, shove away the pain and the laid-back voice and the snicker that was filling his head. The sudden urge to simply turn around and tear out the man's throat was getting the better of him, Cloud hissing as the pain in his palm and fingers seemed to double in intensity, a startled shout working from his throat as he cringed away from it. What the hell was happening to his hand now? He opened a single eye in an effort to seek out some sign of what may be causing him the pain, his eyes tracing over his hand and moving toward the dark corners of the alleyway almost as if his vision had been called there and away from its initial object of attention.

There was something moving in the darkness. Something that seemed to twist and slither as it traveled across the ground, as if it were alive, creeping in a pool of black toward where he was lying, spread out onto his back, his head turned to the side in captivated horror. A sudden urge to work his way to his feet and run crept into his chest, Cloud struggling to gain his wits enough to get off of the ground, to get away from whatever the hell that thing was. He moved to push himself to his feet with his good hand only to find that his body refused to take orders from his mind, as if that _thing _curling across the stone had trapped him in its spell and bound him in place. It was entrancing, that slithering darkness, the nothing creeping closer to his outstretched hand and arm.

_"Embrace it. The Darkness can heal it for you, can wash away the pain that ravages your body."_

"What the hell . . . ?" The startled question from the red-haired assassin went unnoticed as Cloud flipped off of his back and onto his hands and knees, his vision struggling to focus on the hand that was causing him pain, the blonde muttering a surprised gasp beneath his breath as he took in the sight before him.

The slithering black pool had finally made its way over to his body and onto him, working its way to his hand in a matter of seconds. Tendrils of what seemed to be made up of pure Darkness were twisting like some form of grotesque snake around his hand and wrist, creeping along the tanned flesh and searing deep into his skin in burning strings, as if their only purpose was to try to claw their way through the protective layer of his skin and beneath his flesh. A strangled yelp made itself present in the night air as he watched them move, too enthralled by the ethereal shifting and gliding of the remaining Darkness along the concrete surrounding his hand and his hand itself to make a move against it. A sense of supreme chill filled his entire arm as it was engulfed in the Darkness, as if there never had been any form of light or heat there, and he shuddered, his lip curling up in displeasure at the sensation.

_"Accept what you truly are, allow the Darkness to correct your wounds and bring you closer back to the truth."_

And before he could blink the 'serpents' of the Darkness had finally accomplished their goal of making it into his flesh, Cloud's eyes widening in surprise and shock as the remainder of his body seemed to finally snap back into reality and flush with movement. Rocking back onto his heels to free his other hand he gripped at the Darkness engulfed one, blue eyes flooded with panic and terror, his mouth hanging open as a second wave of sharp pinpoints of pain stabbed into his hand. What the hell was happening to him?

"Shit!" Distantly Cloud heard the assassin let out a string of curses at the sight, green eyes wide and startled as he moved backward away from the blonde, face drained of any and all color that might have once been there. A nauseating feeling of Darkness – cold and thick and invading, as if it were trying to pry into his mind as well as its current victim's – lingered around the blonde's crouching form, the redhead taking in one last glance of the man before spinning on his heel swiftly, deciding it better to leave him where he was than become the next object of the Darkness' attention. Whatever the hell was happening to that boy, it couldn't be as important as his own life at the moment – screw his job, someone else could come hunt him down next time.

Cloud didn't catch the man's escape, his mind too focused on what was happening to his own body, his fingers digging at where the Darkness had left blackened skin spreading wide across his hand in an effort to almost pull the threads out of his flesh once more. A sickening feeling of emptiness had crept into his chest as the final strands of Darkness melded into his skin along with their companions, vanishing in a curling mass of black and purple around his left side. Panicked the struggled to pry them from his hand in one last effort, his nails digging at the hand and causing thin lines of blackish-crimson to spill over his nails.

_"Allow the Darkness to become one with you, to meld with your body." _A sudden lightheadedness was overtaking him, Cloud muttered inaudibly under his breath as he fought to stay sitting upright, the wave of vertigo capturing his attention now. Unable to hold off the dizziness and regain consciousness for much longer Cloud allowed himself to fall forward onto the concrete, Mako blue eyes fluttering shut as the Darkness that had engulfed his hand ate away at his vision, sucking the world around him away in a spiral of blended sound and color.

_"Good boy. Allow yourself to become one with the Darkness, allow the Darkness to become one with you."_

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_It was horribly dark where he was at. Dark and cold and empty, as the place normally was during these times of night. One would expect that the Darkness could never really creep its way into the sterility and bright whiteness of the room as it was during the day, but it proved possible once the veil of night had draped over the entirety of the small room. Bright blue eyes darted around the chamber in an almost paranoid manner, taking in everything once more for what seemed like the hundredth time that night._

_He had seen it all before, had memorized where everything was at and what every detail of the room looked like during the day, but at night, it was so much different. The corners of the room seemed to possess a life of their own, the Darkness that sat there seeming to conjugate in that spot simply to combine into one and squirm in an effort to frighten him. Lithe hands gripped at the stark white sheets pooled over his thin form, pulling them up around his chin and bringing the sharp scent of bleach to his nose from the too clean of covers._

_He ignored it, however. The smell of the blankets had stopped bothering him after a while, and the Darkness was his only concern at the moment._

_Because when the Darkness was there, he was never really alone. That man always showed up at these times, the man with the sharp, all-knowing green eyes that glowed with the same inner light that his did from the same testings that he had endured. Those eyes always haunted him, even during the day; something about the half-formed cat-like pupil running through the dark green pools, watching his every move, boring down into his own eyes and picking out his every fear and every thought, stuck with him. It wasn't a bad feeling, all of the time. Sometimes the man would bring comfort, would sit with him on the edge of the bed, would wrap his strong arms around his smaller shoulders and brush away the fears and the pain that the men in the coats had brought during the day with thin fingers through his golden hair._

_Other times _he _would comfort the man in his moments of distress and insanity, those rare times when he would come to him in a state worse than what he had ever been in, screaming at the top of his lungs with forgotten tears showing in the backs of his eyes that would never, _could _never, fall. Sometimes he thought that only he could see that sadness that lingered in the man's eyes, regardless if he himself realized it, and he actually like it that way. It was good to know that he had grown that much of a connection to the man during the times when they would be called here for days, maybe even weeks, where the that worked here would perform various tests on them both, sometimes apart from one another, sometimes together. It normally varied, depending on the experiment._

_The men in the coats told him that the man with the green eyes was his 'other half,' his yin-yang spirit, but he didn't really know what those terms meant. Just that they were destined to be together, to become the same person. That was all that he could discover from the confusing notes and words and analyzes that had been conducted upon them._

_The soft, wispy sound of what he had come to note as the other man's appearance flitted to his ears over the darkness and his own heavy breathing, the teen pulling himself away from the covers to glance over toward the corner that the man had entered from. Without any protest he allowed the man to calmly walk – he made no sound as he moved, almost as if he were floating rather than walking, the grace in his step present from years of training and fighting – to the side of his cot and reach down toward him, arms ensnaring his body and pulling him to his chest._

_"I'm scared again."_

_The man frowned at that, glancing down at the smaller figure in his arms with what could be considered caring compared to his normal cold and stoic expression._

_"I know." The man pressed his face into his hair, nuzzling the mass of blonde softly and affectionately, "But I'm here now, and I will always be here. So you have no need to be afraid." The boy smiled gently at that, his eyes sliding shut after lying awake for so long, the sleep that he had deprived himself of slowing making its way into his mind and causing a sluggish haze to fill his senses. Before he completely surrendered to the Darkness one final thing forced its way into his mind, the blonde grinning aimlessly at it:"I will always be by your side, Cloud."_

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_Yes, I realized that I have not finished _Lunatic Pandora _yet, and I realize that it is nearing completion, but I could not resist this idea. It forced its way into my mind and demanded that I write it, so please, do not worry. _Lunatic Pandora _is in the works, and should be finished in the next month. (Give me a month to allot for homework and the like; school has suddenly become a very large obstacle for me, and will more than likely force itself in the way, along with band.)_

_As for Sora and Riku, they may or may not make an appearance. I apologize to any that have an undying love for them; this fanfiction is mainly centered around Cloud, the Darkness, and Sephiroth. Opinions on this matter are welcomed, however, do not expect a large role from either character._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor do I own Midgar, SOLDIER, Balamb, SeeD, or the man in the blue suit (I will love you if you can guess who this is). They all belong to Square-Enix._


	2. Of Sarcasm and Discoveries

_Chapter two of _Absolution _is up and running much sooner than anticipated. I hope you enjoy it._

_Chapter Warnings: Cursing, violence, darkness creepy-ness_

_Important notes: Anything in regular italics is thoughts, and anything in "quotation marks and italics" is someone talking in another person's mind. You will understand later._

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The dawn air was more than welcomed against Leon's flushed cheeks, a sigh of relaxation and slight frustration slipping quietly from his chest. This was a normal habit for him; something that he had taken pride in doing every morning since he had moved into this apartment. Wake up, as early as he possibly could – which was normally around five or six in the morning – get dressed, and head outside for a daily round of patrols. The pattern never really changed, which was the way that he enjoyed it. It had become a regular part of his life over the past two or three years, and Leon was more than ready to allow himself to become lost in the fluid motions and consuming dance of a good fight.

Patrolling had become a necessity in the town when new creatures had begun to make themselves present during the hours of the Darkness's rule. Chaos had instantly sprung up when the first sightings of the monsters had been reported, the shouts of worry and fear dying in a simple announcement from the military ensuring their safety and that it would be best for the citizens to merely forget about it and move on with their daily lives. A promise of "stronger troops" and SOLDIERs sitting on every street corner had been made, the people had cheered, and then life had fallen back into that monotone rhythm that it had carried for as long as the brunette could remember. Leon was still amazed at how well they had obeyed the orders, simply dropping the subject as if it didn't mean life or death for them, before going back to their lives of shopping, entertainment, and only Hyne knew what else.

Then again, that was how it always worked, wasn't it? If the military told you something, then you obeyed without asking questions or passing judgement, regardless of your own personal views on what the matter may be. Arguing with the military or the corporation normally resulted in your 'mysterious' disappearance one day. It was simply a commonly known fact that the military was always right, and that if they said to let something fade into the background, then it sure as hell better fade, or else there would be consequences and the military "couldn't ensure the safety" of anyone in the town anymore.

Leon knew the system all too well, had been part of it for almost his entire life, the brunette running a slender, leather wrapped hand through his hair and giving off a small sigh. The thoughts were shoved to the back of his mind as he moved to shift Revolver – he had never really gotten used to the idea of exchanging it for a different gunblade; this one had worked fine for him since he was a child, why change it? – onto his right shoulder, his free hand slipping casually into his pocket. Stormy, blue-grey eyes swept over the emptied street for a brief instance before he turned from his doorway and toward the alleys that snaked through the town to his side. The alleys would definitely be a good place to begin his patrols for the night; the Darkness seemed to gather there more than anywhere else, as if the deeds that normally occurred back there – the murders, rapes, and whatever else the thugs of the slums could think of – drew in the Darkness and gave it a perfect feeding ground.

It was probably true, after all. Hadn't he heard a long time ago that the deeds a person performed during their lives affected the Darkness in their hearts and the attraction of the Darkness to that person? He wasn't sure, but it had to have been something like that. Which would explain why countless rumors had been seeping throughout the city that there were sudden disappearances happening late at night, normally with those brave enough, or stupid enough, to enter into the alleyways without some form of protection. Surprisingly, however, no one really traveled by the main streets at night anymore. Be it the thrill of seeing the Darkness, or just the fact that most of the alleys wound into a complex knot to about anywhere in the town a person may want to go, taking twice as fast to get there than going via the main streets, Leon wasn't all that sure.

Whatever it was, it kept his job interesting.

Leon let off a groan as he turned another corner, wandering deeper into the dark passages without really paying much attention to where he was going. He had memorized every single path in this damned town, after all, and could more than likely get from one point to another with his eyes closed. The only obstacle that may get in his way would be any passed out drunkards that he may trip over in the process; something that happened more often than one would think, in such a "high-class town" as Twilight Town.

The idea actually made a rare chuckle, more of a snicker, slip from his throat, the brunette shaking his head briefly. "High-class?" Nothing in the town was really "high-class," apart from the theaters and other entertainment businesses that had perfect funding for the soul purpose of sucking in money for the military. It was almost a vicious cycle. On the outside, Twilight Town actually seemed like a nice place to stay for those rich enough; there were enough places to spend one's money that it seemed to be more of a playground for the wealthy than an actual town for people to live in. Which it very well could be – the funding that went into the actual housing of the town was lower than normal, and most of the places to live were half-crumbling apartments with rent that was twice as much as the actual building itself was worth. However, on the inside, poverty and oppression ran supreme, and a strong sense of despair amongst the common people hung thick in the air like a plague.

Being an ex-Commander couldn't even change that little flaw.

Leon frowned as he found his thoughts wandering down _that _path, the gunblade expert shoving them away quickly before they could distract him from his task at hand, flipping his gunblade off of his shoulder and into his grip to do just that. Even if he couldn't find anything to fight, he could at least train until the morning completely came and awoke the town, bringing in the life that he strove to avoid in a desire to alienate himself. Being social never really was his forte, after all. It was simply in his nature to avoid people, namely a city's worth of people; he had been doing it since he was a child, if he could remember correctly. Ever since sis left home, he'd–

"What?" The word escaped his lips as more of an impulse rather than an actual question, Leon's train of thought being interrupted as he felt his boot kick something plush on the ground, a grunt coming from said object and filling the dark alleyway. Surprised, and a little confused as to what a person was doing in the middle of an alleyway, he moved around the form, taking a step back so as not to stand on the form and giving himself a clear view of the person passed out on the ground. They didn't really look like a drunkard, in his opinion, but they definitely looked worse for ware.

It was obvious that the person had been through somewhat of a living hell in the past few days, simply by their appearance. Tattered and bloodied clothing clung to pallid skin in almost a desperate attempt to continue doing the job of protecting the person's – the man's, Leon noted – body from harm, which they had failed in doing quite miserably. A shredded purplish-blue turtleneck sweeter was hanging lifelessly from his torso, tears and unraveling threads hanging from nearly every inch of the garment, the dark fabric stained even darker sporadically with what Leon could only assume to be blood. Matching pants made an equally pathetic attempt at calling themselves clothing on the man's legs, the amethyst garment torn to reveal pale flesh marred with blemishes almost everywhere. Thick combat boots adorned his feet, and the armor that had once been on his shoulder in an effort to protect him in whatever way was so badly scuffed and cracked that Leon highly doubted it could protect him against anything at all.

_It's a military issued uniform._

Leon let his eyes wander the remainder of the man's body, gaze hovering over his hair and face for a fleeting moment. A mass of almost impossibly spiky hair was placed on his head, wayward golden strands falling down before his tanned face as if they refused to join their companions on the man's head. It would have been comical, were it not for the poor condition of the hair's owner.

_He looks a lot like him . . . _The thought flittered into his mind uselessly as he knelt down beside the man, gunblade quietly coming to rest at his side to free his hands for inspection of the youth. Tentatively, more in concern for hurting the man rather than anything else, he reached over toward him, hand resting on his chest for just a brief moment.The blonde's breathing moved in a rough up and down rhythm against his palm, as if he were having trouble doing just that – forget him regaining consciousness any time soon – Leon running his fingertips gently across his torso and over his ribs. A frown creased his features as his fingertips brushed over a set of ribs that were obviously out of place and roughly broken, the brunette lifting his hand and shaking his head. This man had to have been through more than just hell, from the looks of things.

Leon paused for a moment, rolling back on his heels to give himself space away from the blonde in order to cast a long glance at his entire form. The man was, in all actuality, a rather attractive – maybe even beautiful – person, even when he looked as broken and dejected as that. The blonde was a vision of what happened in the town almost on a daily basis; someone became lost, in one way or another – mentally or physically. Absently Leon found himself wondering just how old the man was; he really didn't look any older than eighteen, at the most. He brushed that back, a gentle sigh breaking from his lips as he ran a slender hand through his messy auburn hair, fingers tugging at the strands in his typical habit when he was lost in thought.

He couldn't very well _leave _the man here. Someone – or _something _– else would more than likely find him and cause him more harm than he had already sustained, or he could die of the injuries that he had already received. A groan worked its way from his lips as he leaned forward, kneeling on the cold concrete ground of the alley and moving to gently pull the man into his arms, for fear of further causing him injury. It was dangerous to move a person when injured, Leon knew, but something told him that such trivial matters as a little further damage to the person was not his main concern at the time being.

Swiftly he climbed to his feet, a pointed glare shooting down toward his gunblade as he shifted in a pathetic attempt at holding both the man and his weapon. Satisfied with looping the trigger of the blade over his fingers and clutching the man tightly to his chest he turned, moving in a steady pace back to his apartment. An absentminded glance was shot down toward the blonde one last time, Leon running a quick inspection of his body to make sure that nothing had been further knocked out of place by–

His thoughts stopped in a mimicry of his feet, the ex-Commander's eyes widening just slightly as he noticed the man's left hand for the first time. Sharp, pointed golden claws that seemed to almost be made of some kind of metal covered the majority of his fingers, leading down to deadly tips that were more than likely sharp enough to do heavy damage, if used properly. A dark, blackened surface lay beneath the talons, be it the man's actual skin or a glove of some sort, Leon wasn't really sure. Whatever it was, it was covering almost his entire hand and slowly creeping up his arm, stopping just above his wrist as if it had run out of the will to move any more than that.

It reminded him of one of the Darkness creatures that had been invading the alleyways as of recent, and Leon had to repress a shiver at the thought. The temptation to just leave the man where he had found him crawled into his mind but he crushed it back almost instantly, Leon shaking his head in frustration at himself. He had decided to bring the man hope, regardless of what he really was, and that was what he was going to do. Questions could be asked later. Leon picked up his pace once again, hurrying to make a retreated back into his apartment before the hustle and bustle of the day could catch up with him and expose the man in his arms to further damage.

_Sora is not going to be happy about this._

**

* * *

**

The corporation's main building was just as busy as ever, even at the absurd hour of the morning. Shin-Ra never really seemed to sleep; there was always something bustling amongst the employees and the executives, be it a new weapon production or a new terrorist raid to deal with, both of which had grown more frequent in the past few days. An increase in opposition, a need for new weapons, and the people pulling the strings of the puppet workers in that town that no one had ever seen filing an increase in demand for energy and weaponry had all come flying at Shin-Ra Inc. in one night.

Which had only increased the number of panicking workers, of screaming employers, and had successfully resulted in one very frustrated president.

Whatever it was driving the people, it kept the hallways flushed with scurrying workers afraid that even a second of tardiness could result in their expulsion from Shin-Ra Company for good (and being fired from Shin-Ra normally meant that you wouldn't be going back to any other job any time soon – or back to your house, for that matter).

The traffic in the hallway all poured in a simple direction; toward the offices. The corridor that was composed of the offices consisted of a uniform line of rooms upon rooms, each one exactly the same as the last; stark white and sterile in a manner that reflected the rest of the glittering, bleached white interior. The scuffing of dress shoes along the tile filled the air as each person hurried, hunched over reports or papers or weapons to test, toward their assigned room for a day filled with name signing and reporting to the executives. The day had just begun, really, and the morning rush to get to your position was still in the midst of occurring.

Which was exactly why Reno was so frustrated with walking in the opposite direction, his hands crammed into his suit's pockets with an irritated look plastered onto his pale face, messy red hair falling across his eyes as he stormed his way elsewhere, his companion easily taking large strides to keep up with the man's flustered pace. The other seemed a little annoyed to be there, his towering form clad in the same navy blue uniform that Reno bore, only in a more professional manner. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes from view, a tanned face and bald head giving the beast of a man the look of a trained body guard, or murderer.

Both of which were written into their job description, if Reno could remember the small print right (no one really reads those things, anyway).

"Yo, who the _hell _does he think he is, giving me orders like that! It was one fuckin' mix up, Rude, _just one, _and he's gotta go all 'oh Reno, you failed again, I want you to work twice as hard now and find him before tomorrow or I'll take your position away,' blah blah blah, on me." Bright eyes turned toward the stoic man at his side, Reno casting him a look that clearly said 'you agree with me, right?' Without really giving the tall man a chance to respond he had turned his head back to face the crowed, swiftly ducking around a few running secretaries and past a group of third class SOLDIERs awaiting their turn for the training facilities. "Yeah, if you were there, man, you would have run away, too! There was definitely something fucked up in that kid's head, yo," at this he jabbed a slender finger toward his own head, as if to illustrate his point, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that he had Rude's full attention. Satisfied, he turned back to facing where he was walking, his lips pulling into a grimace of annoyance, "There was no way I was gonna stick around and find out what the hell it was!"

A cluster of huddling lab assistants ducked out of the way as the redhead stormed up to the elevator he had been heading toward, his forefinger jamming into the 'down' arrow with a little more force than necessary. "He just wasn't normal, yo." Seconds passed, Reno tapping his foot anxiously at his side before a soft _ding _alerted the duo that the elevator had finally arrived, both men stepping inside the emptied semi-circle and turning to face the glass windows of the sides.

"... I should have been there, then." An enthusiastic nod was given to that, despite the fact that both men were facing opposite directions (he trusted Rude to see the motion through the glass's reflection, anyway). Instead, Reno's face was pressed against the glass of the elevator, like a small child looking at something that he wanted greatly but could not reach, his lips pulling into a frown at the sight of the massive city. It was impressive, yes, but the migraine that was going to be caused by that place was already starting to form in a soft tingle at the base of his skull.

Towering buildings littered the view outside of the window, each one silhouetted against the rising sun in the background and showing off their massive forms. Logos and various other posters were plastered onto the sides of the buildings, advertising various plays or technological advancements, each and every one bearing the square, scarlet logo of Shin-Ra Inc. The buildings themselves spanned for as far as Reno could see, the man squinting in an effort to make out where Midgar ended and Twilight Town began, the long row of borders and roads streaking through the buildings giving him a rough idea as to where to look.

Midgar, the center station for most of the energy, weaponry, and the base for the Shin-Ra building, was a dirty collection of slums and the plate that the executive building and housing was perched upon. The metal disc, or "pizza," as the people trapped in the slums referred to it, was the cause for most of the pollution that hung over the air and spread an eternal night across the cities, reaching even to the edges of Twilight Town. Shin-Ra had caused it, but that didn't really mean that they cared; Midgar was big enough that they didn't really have to worry about the pollution reaching their housings.

And Reno had to make it through that and into Twilight Town, where the _real _fun was going to begin. Midgar may be large, but Twilight Town had more places to hide.

Add to that the fact that he had to explore that entire town, look in _every single _nook and cranny, for one young, albeit mentally unstable and genetically enhanced, ex-trooper (the kid couldn't even be a SOLDIER, which would have at least made the job _interesting, _in Reno's eyes). With just himself and Rude on the mission. All because the biological department had poor security and had let the kid escape.

It was enough to make him slam his head against the glass surface, a curse slipping from his lips around a heavy sigh. This was turning into another one of _those _jobs, wasn't it?

Well, he could make the best of his free time for now.

"Wanna go get a drink before we have to go out there, yo?" The tall man let what could be considered a grin – more of a sneer, actually – cross his lips as the elevator reached the ground level, the two men turning and walking out of the door casually and in sync with one another, as if they were next to each other so much that they had learned to memorize their companion's motions and movements.

"I was waiting for that."

**

* * *

**

For some strange reason, he was warm.

The warmth was a stark contrast to the biting cold of loneliness and sterility that he normally felt as he awoke, even after his escape from _that _horrid place, and he relished it, fighting against the pinpoints of light at the corners of the darkness that were trying to eat away at it and take peaceful oblivion from him. The warmth itself seemed to be in intertwined between the light and the dark, and he struggled to keep the balance between the two, floating on the edge of consciousness but not yet allowing himself to awaken. This was just too good to lose. A spider-web network of strands made out of a bluish-white illuminance were creeping along his torso and arms and legs, spiraling around his body like a comforting cocoon and successfully washing away the pain and fear that lingered in his chest.

It was a comforting feeling, that warmth, the heat spreading gradually, almost lazily, along his body and into his arms, pulling at bones and muscles that were out of place, snapping them back to their original positions with little more than a gentle _pop. _Surprisingly, he wasn't as worried as he probably should have been by the whole situation. That warmth caused him to simply lie wherever he was and focus solely on that feeling, forgetting what was happening on the outside world as the wounds over his chest and various other parts of his body pulled taut, forming new flesh in the mockery of fresh scars to join old ones.

For once, the darkness wasn't frightening to him. It really was a surprise, to learn that the darkness could hold anything else apart from pain and loneliness, even if that darkness was only a semi-darkness. He had never felt anything quit as comforting as this before, and for a brief moment he wondered if maybe he had actually _died _last night, regardless of the fact that he couldn't quit remember what had happened. But that didn't matter.

He was content, for the moment, and warm; two things that he hadn't felt in a long, long time . . .

_"Not since that time, huh? It was pretty hot that day."_

_. . . Yeah, it was._

That sensation was seeping along his body now, crawling off down his left arm, mending out-of-place bones and scratches and pulled muscles as it went. There was a sickeningly loud snap as he felt the bones in his arm mend themselves entirely, and he cringed absentmindedly for a moment, even if it was just at the sound. For some reason, it felt good to have that heat flush his arm; the chill that had been lingering in said arm for however long slowly being torn apart by the light and tossed away made him sigh in contentment.

_"I'm surprised you even made it there on time. I was worried you were gonna be late."_

_She was waiting for me. Mom was always like that._

Everything was so _warm . . ._

Until the warmth reached his hand, that is. A stinging, lingering icy feeling refused to yield to the gentle cox of the bluish light, and he frowned in his half-conscious state. There was something about that _hand, _something important that had happened not all that long ago . . .

Why couldn't he remember what it was?

_"Why don't you look and find out? Lying here isn't going to help any."_

_But . . . I don't want to look. I don't want to remember, I just want to stay here. It's warm. It reminds me of home and mom._

_"Hey, that won't work! Staying in memories will just make it worse, kid. Come on, wake up."_

"Un . . ."He was struggling with unconsciousness, fighting against the light of day that was breaking into his vision and the harsh shaking that was racking his body. Someone was trying to wake him up, but whoever that someone was, he didn't really care. All that mattered was that he didn't lose this peace, as artificial as it probably was.

_"Wake up!"_

_I–_

"Wake up."

Cloud gasped as he was snapped out of his reverie of darkness, a firm hand on his shoulder shaking him gently and scattering the oblivion like shattered glass to the corners of his mind. Disoriented, he lurched forward, eyes widening as he tried to take in his surroundings, his face contorting into a mixture of pain and confusion. A blinding ray of light dug hard into his vision like needles and he closed his eyes against it, trying desperately to find that darkness and warmth again. It was cold and bright out there, and he didn't want to lose sight of the warmth that had filled him only moments before.

Why did this person have to wake him up?

"I need to make sure the wounds healed properly. Get up."

Better question: _Who _was this person? He couldn't recognize the voice as one he had heard before and he frowned, a groan slipping from his lips. That was either very good, or very bad. Good, because it meant that he wasn't back with the military just yet; bad, because this person may know about the charges against him. He would just have to hope that said person hadn't been keeping up with the television broadcasts over the past three days.

_"Yeah, that's wistful thinking there, Strife."_

"Un," he rose his right hand to his face, thin fingers pressing to his eyes in an attempt to chase away the burning that lingered in them, Cloud frowning and moaning under his breath. _It feels like I've been hit with a fucking brick . . ._ Finding his efforts successful after much muttered cursing and mental screaming, he blurrily cast a glance around the room.

The first thing he could see was the hazy silhouette of a man leaning over him, his hands fanned out, fingers spread over his chest, that bluish light that had invaded his mind in his unconscious state lighting the person's fingertips and raining down on his chest and arm. So it was a form of curing magic? Cloud shook his head against his uncooperative vision, the blonde struggling to make out the figure kneeling at his side. But why was it blue? Most healing magic now was the sickening bright green color of Mako and Lifestream, induced by the usage of materia that had been installed over five years ago, when materia usage had become mainstream. The forbidden magic, the _pure _magic, had been forgotten long ago . . .

How did this person know how to use it?

"How did I end up here?" His voice was rough from hours, possibly even days – he wasn't too sure how long he had been unconscious for, really – and he frowned at that, his words sounding weaker than he had wanted. Well, at least he had managed to speak this time and not grunt out inaudible words like he had anticipated would happen.

"You were badly injured. I found you passed out in the alleyway this morning and took you to my apartment for rest." Cloud gave a nod at that, his brain registering that a strong hand had come to rest over his chest, the fingertips running over his ribs and down along his arm for inspection. The blonde squirmed, shifting uncomfortably under this unknown man's touch, and he glanced over at the person, struggling to make out the man's form, if only for something to keep him occupied.

Choppy auburn hair framed tanned skin and icy blue-grey eyes, the man's gaze cold and emotionless, even as he tended to the blonde's wounds. An angry red scar ran down the top of his forehead, across the bridge of his nose and beneath his eye, Cloud wondering absently how the man had gotten that injury in the first place. The man had rather handsome features – a well-shaped, narrow face, strong build and muscle tone – and Cloud couldn't help but grin. There was something about this man, about his posture and the atmosphere around him, that strikingly reminded him of an overgrown cat – preferably a lion. The silver lion pendant that hung from his neck and the matching ring that was placed over the leather of the man's glove only added to the image and Cloud found himself absently wondering if everything about the man were lion like, including his movements and name.

"Well then, thanks for saving me." He groaned as he shifted in his spot, the blonde grumbling under his breath at the pain that still rang in a numb feeling across the majority of his body. Well, moving to get a better look at his surroundings was definitely out of the question for the time being. He'd just have to trust this man to not stab him in the back while he was resting and turn him in for that reward. "So, what's your name?"

". . . Leon." Ah. Just like a lion's. He could have expected that much, and he smiled at the man, a curious look filling his face.

"Leon, huh?" He didn't receive a response, but then again, he wasn't really expecting one, and he continued anyway, "Well, the name's Cloud." The only answer to that was a nod of the man's head and a brief glance away from whatever it was that the man had been fiddling with to look up in his general direction, stormy grey eyes locking with azure the briefest of moments. Cloud shuddered at that eye contact, breaking it swiftly; there was something about the _look _in Leon's eyes, something about the cold apathy that was obviously masking so much more that was almost _unnerving_.

He had seen eyes like that, a long time ago. Cold, calculating eyes, always watching with precision and a feline like amusement, as if the entire world were his toy. The shudder that had racked his spine seconds before increased in intensity, and he didn't even realize it. They were so _similar._

Cloud's thoughts were scattered as his expression twisted into a grimace when he tried to turn to take a better glance at the rest of the brunette's form – all he could see was his head and shoulders, after all – a searing burning racking through his body and sending white-hot jabs of pain across his chest. Leon seemed to catch this and he held him back, shaking his head slowly.

"It hasn't healed entirely yet. Curing magic can only take some of the pain away and rearrange the muscle tissue." The brunette paused, a slender hand running through his hair to brush the messy strands away from his face, "Your injuries were bad; it'll take time for them to completely heal. . . You had three broken ribs and a poorly mended broken arm."

A broken arm . . . ?

Hadn't he broken something else, too?

_"Your hand, remember?"_

Hand . . .

A wave of memories hit him at that statement, as if the words had broken a block that his own mind had set up in an effort to protect him from some unknown truth. Twilight Town. They had just made it to Twilight Town, and . . . he had been running, alone, for whatever reason, trying to escape the men at his heels, and had turned down an alleyway for safety.

He had been attacked then, hadn't he? A man from the retrieval squad had found him, and had broken his arm and hand in the assault . . .

And then what? Something else had happened, something that had chased the man away. The source of the chill in his arm and fingers had come from that, he knew it, but for some odd reason he just couldn't _picture _it.

It was incredibly confusing and frustrating all at once.

". . . You should try to sit up." Mindlessly Cloud did as instructed, his mind too ensnared in thought to really do otherwise, the blonde pushing his hands against the plush surface of the couch beneath him. Carefully he propped himself up into a sitting position, a hiss of breath escaping from his lips as the dull ache throbbed in his body. It hurt, but that wasn't what was important at the moment. What was important was finding out what in the world had–

There was a soft tearing noise as he shifted, the dead fingers of his left hand snagging on the cloth of the cushioning and ripping it in a scream of snapping threads that successfully caught his attention. He almost leaped off of the couch as the sound filled the air, Cloud gasping in surprise and casting a brief glance around the area.

That's what it was: his hand. There was something wrong with his _hand_, something that had caused him to faint in the first place. Something that hadn't been there before . . .

But what was it? Curious, despite the slight twangs of fear that he could feel shaking his body, he glanced down to his side, ignoring the gentle touch of question that had fallen on his knee at his sudden enthrallment with his arm.

Cloud cried out without really realizing it. His hand had changed, over the time that he had been unconscious, had shifted shape into something dark and inhuman.

The hand itself seemed to have morphed into that he had never seen the likes of before, something that sent an icy fear trickling through his veins. The back of his hand had become thin, almost skeletal, the bones and tendons sticking out painfully obvious against the coal black flesh that was now his skin (blacked from what, he wasn't all that sure). Sharp, pointed talons were now where his fingertips had been, the razor claws curving in an elegantly grotesque manner to give him the appearance of some form of demon from a child's nightmare. A demon from one of his own nightmares, now that he thought about it.

Panicked and unsure of what to do he turned to Leon, eyes wide, face filled with pleading as if the brunette could hold some answer as to what had happened to him. Unfortunately, however, the sudden movement sent a crashing wave of vertigo into him, his muddled mind closing in on itself and causing his vision to be wiped away in darkness, the last thing that he could register being the startled cry of "Hey!" coming from Leon at his side and strong arms wrapping around his collapsing form.

**

* * *

**

_I should probably make this clear to everyone before this fanfiction continues – I have been completely and utterly seduced by the Darkness. I swear it. This said, be expecting an immense quantity of said Darkness, and an even greater quantity of Sephiroth-esque insanity. Also, for those of you that have not caught on yet, this is intended to be more of a Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII crossover rather than the original Kingdom Hearts story. Therefore, Shin-Ra and the like will be a normal occurrence. As for any confusion that this chapter may have caused, I promise that it will become clear as the storyline progresses. So many plot points all opened in one chapter . . . ((Hint: Cloud has two separate voices in his mind. I leave it to you to guess the owners of said voices.))_

_Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated._


	3. Of Leather Pants and Familiarities

_After much time of putting this off, chapter three has finally been finished. Read, review, and enjoy.__

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_

_"Well, you definitely could have taken that better."_

He was getting sick and tired of this 'waking up and not knowing where the _fuck _he was at' thing. It got rather wearisome after the first several times, when he had initially began his escape from the Shin-Ra what seemed like ages ago and had been running, blind, through the streets, sleeping wherever he saw fit and wherever would provide shelter.

Or at least give him a place to hide. He never said that it had to have a roof over his head, and most of the time, the only place he could find would be the nook beneath the stairs of an abandoned apartment, where he could curl amongst discarded mattresses and whatnot for some form of security.

There had been an occasion, if he could remember correctly, where he had been forced to sleep at the base of some person's porch, curled beneath the awning and hoping that the icy, polluted rain would let up and give him a chance to run for some other form of shelter. Just thinking about it made him shiver, and he curled into the warm softness that was pooled around him and spread over his chest, his face burying into the soft cushion pressed against his cheeks with a sigh of content.

And then it hit him.

This time was different. The normal chill of the twilight air was absent, and instead, the scratchy warmth of a thin blanket was entangled around his body, providing him with comfort and security that the bare outdoors could not. Absently he wondered where he was at, and how the hell he had wound up there. It was never a good sign to wake up in a place that he couldn't recognize – he had learned this through personal experience several times after his escape from the Shin-Ra's hold – and he couldn't help but let a small flicker of thick metallic worry rest in his stomach, the tang of copper pennies resting on his tongue.

_… It was surprising. You'd do the same._

_"Yeah, well, you didn't have to pass out, you know. He probably freaked out or something."_

_And why would he?_

He needed to wake up. The first step of taking in his surroundings and his planning out his next course of action was to get his eyes open, regardless of how hard that seemed to be to accomplish at the moment. The dim pain stabbing at the backs of his eyelids and sending needles of soreness shooting through his skull seemed to agree with this idea, and he cursed under his breath in sheer agitation at this entire situation. He wasn't happy, he was lost, his head felt like it had been hit by a bag of bricks at _least _twice in the past three days, and there was a damn ray of sunlight pouring in through the window and straight into the backs of his eyelids.

"Whoever the _hell_ left the blind open is gonna . . ." His voice trailed off halfway through his threat, the words dying from his lips as the sleep slowly slithered away from him like a curtain of water, Mako blue eyes snapping open and taking in a bright glare of sunlight.

_Sunlight._

Not the artificial lights of Midgar or the searing, bright lights that the Shin-Ra Company poured over the slums and into the edges of Twilight Town in an effort to create a brief sense of normality for the people, even if they were destined to be in the darkness.

Actual _sunlight_. From the sun that he had thought he would never see again. This had to have been the first time that he had actually seen the sunlight in _years_, to be perfectly honest, and he cast a longing glance toward the source of that light, soaking in the sight of it and the heat of it as if he couldn't get enough. It was a thickly blanketed, polluted sunlight, sure, heavy with the dark clouds of industry that Shin-Ra and Mako energy discharged into the sky, but at least it was _sunlight_. He relished that fact, basking in its natural warmth for a few moments. The logical part of his brain tried to connect the sunlight to a time and date in his past, when he had last seen those bright rays and experienced that pure warmth, but to no avail.

All he could really come up with was that it was nice to feel the sun again, after being in hiding for so long, covered in the veil of night to hide from them for a crime that he hadn't done.

_"You know that's not true."_

A groan worked from his dry lips as he squirmed in the bed, forcing the sheets off of his form with a swing of his arm and a quick kick, the crumpled blankets falling to the floor in with a soft _thump _of noise. That was twice, _twice, _in _one_ day that he had passed out from something or another, and he growled under his breath at that notion. That man probably thought he was an idiot, or weak, or whatever the hell it was that someone like him thought.

It didn't matter. At the current moment, Cloud was a little too occupied with the throbbing pain piercing at the back of his skull to really care about what whatever his name was thought of him. A groan was given from his lips as he moved, slowly so as to keep the pain to a minimum, around the edge of the bed, his legs swinging over the side as his right hand rubbed his eyes free of sleep before casting a curious glance around the perimeter.

The room was a shabby place in general, to tell the truth. Apart from the bed that he was currently on, there was little else of importance scattered throughout the room, and an undersized dresser off to one side, the drawers closed and properly packed despite its age (the man was more than likely a neat-freak, Cloud noted), a matching wood nightstand at his left side, beside the bed, and a single mirror, cracked in a network of patterns from Planet only knew how many years of use, were the only other decorations. Shaggy carpeting lined the floor, what Cloud could only assume to be a once white plush surface now mated and turned a sickly shade of gray, the walls faded in perfect monotony to match.

He snorted. Overall, the room appeared as if it were hardly made for any real living purposes; a fractured window gave him a morphed glance at the town below and the sun as it battled with the pollution to light the twilight corners of the town. The midlevels of buildings were visible in his view of the city, and a small smile worked onto his lips as he nodded at that. It wasn't too high up, then, and if worse came to worse, he could always jump out of this window like he had the last and hope that there was something a little bit softer to land on than concrete.

The phantom pain in his ribs seemed to disagree with this plan, however, and Cloud groaned low in his chest, his hand moving from his side to press lightly against his torso to group for the injuries that he knew should be there.

Only to find none his chest free of blemishes or any hints of broken bones, the blonde blinking in confusion as he slipped his hand along the contours of his chest in search of the damage that had been done. A confused frown turned the corners of his thin mouth downward, a single eyebrow lifting in question as he ran his fingers over his healed chest with a brief flicker of curiosity and amusement mixing in his glowing eyes.

Ah, that was right. That man had healed the wounds in his chest and the gashes littering his body, washing away the stinging pain that would have been present if he hadn't been cared for. That didn't answer the question of his hand, however, and he tensed said appendage in the sheets of the bed in apprehension and slight fear.

_"Come on, Spike, just look at it. You're gonna have to face it soon anyway."_

Mako blue eyes darted down toward his left hand, taking in the sight with a new viewpoint, one much less panicked and scattered, from last night. Now that he looked at it, there was something fascinating about the golden tips and the ebon fingers, his brow furrowing in deep concentration as he tested the movement in his hand, as if to make sure that the sudden transformation hadn't tampered with his ability to move his digits properly.

He still had a full range of movement. That was all that was important.

Cloud ran a hand through his hair as he let the whole situation sink into his mind in its own sluggish pace, a sigh working from his lips as he flopped backward onto the bed once again. He was in some strange man's apartment, with no possible way of escape, had no clean clothing or weapons to use, had a Planet damned _claw _for a hand, and had no idea where in the hell he really was in relation to where he was going. And to top it all off, knowing the Shin-Ra, they hadn't given up on the search for his whereabouts and the mission to retrieve him and drag him back to those sterile labs and prodding questions.

Perfect. Things were just _perfect._

_Can this possibly get any worse?_

"Leon! Think-"

_Well, shit. _A part of his mind laughed at him, dark and filled with some twisted amusement at his plight, and he shoved it away with a forceful shake of his head. He really shouldn't have said anything, should he have? Lady luck just didn't seem to want to agree with him recently.

"-about it! He's a criminal. A _wanted criminal, _charged with murder and theft and only Hyne knows what else, and people are searching for him all the way over in Midgar and out to the edges of Traverse Town!"

The shout exploding throughout the apartment caused him to blink in surprise, Cloud running the voice over in his mind to dig out the memories of last night that were still blanketed in the warmth of his slumber. That voice was different than the one he had heard when he had first awoken; he really didn't remember that man sounding like a fourteen-year-old boy. Tightening his hands in the sheets beneath him he pushed himself to his feet, struggling to get his bearing straight as he crept over to the doorway as silently as he could, the only sound that came from him being the soft puff of his own breath and the padding sound of his feet against cushiony carpet. He pressed his body tight against the wall – it was times like these that he was thankful for all of the creeping that he had done during his escape from Shin-Ra, and for the experience that he had learned – his head inclined at an angle to get a look through the slim crack and into the narrow hallway beyond.

The hall was free of any and all people, and he let out the breath that he had been holding in anticipation at his realization, his body relaxing a little more now that he knew that the owners of the voices weren't close to his position. Now he could eavesdrop without the risk of being caught. Pressing closer to the wall, with his ear against the opening of the door, he frowned, picking up the bits and pieces of the conversation that were now clearer to him.

Well, at least he could pick up on the other side of the conversation now.

"Sora. Shut up."

_That's the guy from last night._ How he remembered the man's voice and not his name, he couldn't really say. A part of him had just seemed to know it instantly, as strange as it sounded.

"Dammit all, Leon! We're going to get arrested; all because you _finally _decided to be the nice guy and give someone that you've never even seen before a place to stay for the night. I was happy, sure, I mean, my asshole of a brother finally decided to show some _compassion, _but what happens when he does?" There was a pause here, as if the younger voice was waiting for some answer to his accusation, Cloud finding this all too amusing to pass up.

A brother? So that guy had a brother?

"_I thought he was a single child."_

"He turns out to be a criminal! Leon, if this is what happens when you're nice, I think I like you as a bastard better. How the hell do you expect to get us out of this one? We've used every other excuse there possibly is with the military just trying to explain our other little 'incidents.'"

Wanted criminal…? If that boy knew that he was a wanted criminal, and was telling Leon, then –

_Shit._

He had to resist any and all temptations that were currently rising in him to slam his head against the wall in frustration and at his own stupidity. He shouldn't have believed that it was just the opportunity of someone being nice, that he was _finally _finding some kind of compassion in this damned situation. Apparently he had been wrong in guessing that Leon hadn't noticed all of the ads on the radio broadcasts about his capture and the murder he had allegedly committed. Knowing his luck, the man had just taken him in and cared for his grievances so he could hand him over to the military for whatever reward they had decided to slap on top of his pretty blonde head. And judging by the place that Leon lived in, he could really use that reward.

Whatever the hell he wanted him for, he wasn't about to stick around and find out. Friend or foe, there was no real reason for him to stay; his injuries had been healed and he had been handed his first opportunity to get a good night's rest in a warm, albeit slightly uncomfortable, bed (or in any bed, for that matter) since his escape. His only available option was to leave before they decided to see if their 'bounty' had finally woken up. He didn't even want to think about what the Shin-Ra would do if they were to catch him again, after so long of finally being freed from their grasp, and he hissed, low and feral, under his breath.

Tearing his attention away from the door he pushed against the wall with his right hand, using it for leverage to get his balance with a little difficultly and a grunt. So he was still a tad sore, and every inch of his body insisted that he stay here and curl back up into that bed for another day's worth of sleep. He didn't have time to rest here with these people knowing about his criminal record, though, and something told him it would be even worse for his health in the long run to remain here than a few nights of no sleep and another day of starving on the streets.

Now, all he had to do was find a way to escape that _didn't _involve any more broken ribs or fractured arms…

Casting a quick glance around the room he moved back to the bed, bending over beside it with a hiss of pain and picking up his heavy military boots from adjacent to the nightstand. He could just break the window, climb out, and pray to the Lifestream that he didn't rupture his leg when he fell. It might hurt, but at least he'd get away from these people before they really _did_ call the military on him and send in the retrieval unit. He really didn't want to go through that scenario again.

_"Last time, you barely made it out of there alive. I was afraid you weren't gonna make it."_

Come to think of it, what _had _happened that time? He couldn't really remember it. A mass of bodies squirming to run from something, something glowing red and orange and hot, but other than that…

It was blank.

Whatever it was, it couldn't be that important. What _was _important, however, was getting the hell out of this room and away from this apartment before Leon found out that he was awake. Turning away from the bed he moved, cautious and in hopes that the others in the house wouldn't hear his footsteps, and made his way across the room, to the window. Dark blue eyes scanned up and down the thin pane, the blonde taking a deep breath. If he got lucky, then he could break it as fast as possible and jump out before the shattering of glass alerted Leon that he had even left.

It was just lucky for him that he could run pretty damn fast. _Let's just hope that he can't run as fast as me._

_"There's no time for doubting yourself. If you doubt yourself, then you won't be able to do it."_

_I've heard _that_ before._

Shaking his head and clearing any and all doubts that he might have he tightened his grip on his boot – well, they were heavy enough to slow him down during running, they had to be heavy enough to break this flimsy glass. He cast a small glance over his shoulder and toward the door, scouting for any sign of someone that might have already heard him –

Only to come face to face with one frowning brunette, the man's arms crossed over his chest and his light gray-blue eyes focused on Cloud in a manner that reminded him of an adult scolding a child after said child was caught doing something terribly wrong.

He instantly hated that look.

"Mornin.'" He grinned, turning away from the window and giving the man an irate glare. "So… what's for breakfast?" It was the only thing that came to mind, and he kicked himself for it. If his mouth was going to work without his brain, then it could at least come up with something _intelligent _for once. Despite his offhanded attempt at conversation, it was obvious to him that Leon knew what he had been doing, and Cloud dropped the boot with a soft _thud _of defeat. There was nothing he could do but ride this out now.

Unless, of course, he knocked Leon unconscious with that lamp over on the nightstand and –

"I could hear your footsteps." Oh. So that was it? Personally, he had thought that he had been rather quiet compared to what he normally was, and a soft frown creased Cloud's features at the brunette.

Either his skills were slipping, or this man was more than just your conventional, everyday slums inhabitant.

Cloud took the opportunity of silence to get a good look at the other man for the first time since he had met him, eyes soaking in every detail with great interest. The man was, by all means, more than your average person. Tight fitting blue jeans, torn and faded from years of use and abuse, clung to every contour of his long legs, showing off well-built muscles and the obvious signs of someone that did more than just bum around the slums for money. His build reminded him of the people that he used to see in SOLDIER, while he had been in Shin-Ra, as a matter of fact, and he grazed his eyes further up. A semi-loose, black t-shirt, loose enough to drape around his body, but still tight enough to show over the form of his torso, hung over his equally chiseled upper half, Cloud grinning a little at the sight presented before him. Not bad.

At least some creepy, perverted fat pimp off the streets hadn't found him, like that one time.

Traveling his gaze upward Cloud memorized each and every detail of Leon's face, a curious scowl slipping onto his lips as his gaze came to rest between narrowed gray eyes. A ragged scar, rough and red against the lightly tanned skin of his face, ran from the middle of his forehead and down, diagonally, beneath his left eye, stopping right at the bridge of his nose.

Now that he looked closer, everything about Leon was rough in some way, from his choppy auburn hair to his set jaw and chiseled stone mask, concealing away his emotions and giving him the look of a marble statue rather than a person.

Inattentively Cloud wondered if this guy ever smiledlet alone _laughed_. From the looks of things, he hadn't done either in a long time.

_"Reminds me of someone else."_

_Who?_

_"Come on, you can't tell me that you don't remember."_

"… Whatever." The silence that had fallen between them without Cloud even realizing it was shattered as Leon thrust his hand out toward the blonde, a mound of new clothing and a towel hanging over his forearm in a peace offering, even if it was just temporary. "Here. Go take a shower," he tilted his head over his shoulder, indicating toward a door to the left of the other that had gone unnoticed until now, "and then come out in the living room."

Cloud watched him warily for a moment, as if waiting for some trick or betrayal to occur.

Nothing happened.

"… Yeah. Thanks, I guess." Without another word he took the clothing from Leon, a slender, golden eyebrow lifting in confusion as the brunette gave a concise nod and turned for the door. If Leon knew that he was a criminal, why hadn't he mentioned anything about it? It was obvious that the other voice – Planet forbid the day he met the person who owned _that_ voice – had known about it, and had told Leon, but . . .

"Why are you helping me?"

Leon paused, his back to Cloud and his body going rigid at that inquiry, before he continued forward with a tense shrug of his shoulders, the door shutting with a soft _click _as he left just as silently as he had come.

**

* * *

**

"Does this guy own anything that's _not _form-fitting?"

Cloud rolled his eyes as he examined his reflection in the fog-coated mirror of Leon's bathroom, the air filled with the mist of his shower and his image morphed by the dew covering the glass before him. Leaning over the sink with a grunt he wiped the mirror clean with his palm, presenting himself with a clear picture of the clothing he had been handed and what the wear and tear of his escape had caused on him.

He had to admit, he looked better now than he had before hand. Before he had bathed, his face had been coated in a thin layer of dirt and dried sweat, his naturally pallid skin a darker shade of almost _brown _from the mess that had accumulated on him through his adventure in the slums (to be perfectly honest, he wasn't too keen on knowing what half of that _was _that had been covering him, and he was happy to just call it 'dirt'). Dried blood had been caked onto his flesh where he had been injured sometime during the long nights, and his clothing had been in such a state of disrepair that he had had no other choice but to wear the garments that had been handed to him.

Which was the current problem.

"They hardly fit, dammit." He snorted, running a hand through his damp hair, brushing the limp strands away from his face as he took to examining the outfit closer. Leather pants, almost too tight to fit comfortably, but just baggy enough to remain adequate, hugged his hips perfectly (he was surprised when they had shared the same size clothing). They hung low on his hipbones, providing a view of his abs and the jutting corners of his form, and the cloth flared out at the bottom, drapes brushing over the top of his bare feet as he moved about the bathroom and spun his image to get a good look at his back.

He paused as he turned, mouth tightening in concentration and confusion.

A long, crimson mark ran in a jagged line across his left shoulder blade, the slash a sharp contrast to his deathly pale flesh and standing out a little too obviously for his comfort. His brow furrowed as he reached a tentative hand over his shoulder, running a slender finger up the scratch and shuttering at the numb sensation that followed. It almost felt _nice, _in a way, the feeling of his own touch along the sensitive skin providing the spot with a cooling sensation just enough to ease the dim sting that lingered there.

Strange. He didn't remember ever being cut on his shoulder.

He shook his head as he turned back around again, facing the mirror head on and giving it a long glance, staring into the eyes of his own reflection in thought.

Why was Leon helping him? It wasn't like there was anything in it for the brunette, and the more he assisted Cloud, the deeper into the web of Shin-Ra and the military that he worked himself.

Then again, there was something _odd _about Leon. Something different that just struck Cloud as familiar and new all at one time. He couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was, however, and a frustrated growl was given as he tore a hand through his hair once more, brushing out the knots and pulling his hair straight down over his shoulders with a jerk of his fingers.

He'd just have to observe the elder man for a while longer and figure out what it was that was nagging at the back of his skull. There was something there, he knew it, but as to what it was…

He really couldn't place it.

**

* * *

**

"How did you end up in the alleyway?" The conversation had progressed like this for some time now. Leon would ask a question, cold, gray eyes focused solely on Cloud's face, and Cloud would respond to the best of his knowledge, reciting what had happened to lead to where they were currently at now. He frowned as the inquiry was shot in his direction, the blonde rolling back on the legs of the chair before leaning forward again, his elbows coming to rest on the dinner table that was placed between them both.

How did he end up in the alley?

It was a good question. He wasn't all that sure himself.

Glowing, blue eyes shot down toward the plate that was resting before him, staring absently at what remained of the meal that he had been provided with after his shower. He had been hungry, not having had a _good _meal - in other words, something that wasn't stolen off of a nearby shelf or cart – in nearly a week, and to finally have the opportunity for one had been even better than the change of clothing.

_"You're getting off topic now."_

"You know, I'm not sure…" Cloud tore his gaze away from the plate, his eyes coming to lock with the icy stare of the man before him as he shook his head, more to himself than anything else. "I just remember running from those guys – you know, the retrieval unit – and being backed into an alleyway." Then what had happened?

_"You got into a fight again. Just like you always do."_

"There was a fight." He chuckled, a smirk creeping onto his lips as he leaned back into the chair, arms folding over his chest as he glanced down at the floor before up to the ceiling in his normal habit when he thought. "I guess I got my ass kicked, and ended up passing out."

"Then why didn't he take you back?" Leon's dark eyebrow rose skeptically and he groaned, leaning forward once more and pressing his head into his hands, frowning against his palms.

Why _didn't _that guy take him back? If he had been unconscious, then it would have been easy enough for him to be taken into custody and forced back to the Shin-Ra.

_"It was because you scared that guy off, remember? He was afraid to stay, and he ran."_

"Something happened that scared him off."

Cold metal pressing to his face and tugging at the strands of his hair caught his attention, and he opened his eyes to peer at the fingers that were holding his head up.

The claw. That's what had happened. He had been attacked by some… _thing _in the alleyway, and had been given this claw as a result.

"There was something else in the alley. Something in the shadows." Cloud gave a small blink of surprise as Leon leaned forward, suddenly intrigued by what was being said, his stoic mask falling away to a visage of interest and something much more subtle (was that a flicker of worry?) as Cloud continued with his recitation. The blonde pulled his face away from his hands, giving Leon a quick glance before looking down to the claw now resting in his lap.

"What did it look like?"

'What did it look like?' Why would Leon want to know?

"It was black, with bright eyes… It looked more like a… puddle than anything else. It didn't really have a form." Cloud grumbled, shaking his head and grimacing as he tried to pull the image from his mind. "I'm not sure; I didn't get a good look at it, but it was… strange. Like it wasn't from this world. There was something about it that just made it seem so surreal." He laughed coldly, giving Leon a skeptic look of concern and amusement. "You don't believe me, do you?"

It may sound crazy, and Cloud knew it, but it was the truth. The creature that had attacked him, that had crawled beneath his skin, had been more than just your average monster or nightly phantom. There was an ethereal _chill _to the beast. No other creature had ever caused such a sense of hopelessness and emptiness to fill his being by just simply _gazing _at it.

Something told him that he wasn't going to be forgetting that sensation any time soon. It was branded into his minds eyes, into the phantom pain in his nerves. There was just something about that creature…

"… And it stayed in the shadows?"

Leon seemed to know more about this than Cloud had credited him with, and the cold voice pulled him from his private thoughts to come face to face with the curious look spreading over the warrior's tanned features.

"Yeah. Why? I was in pain, so I might have just imagined it, but…" Again he found his gaze shooting toward that cursed thing on his hand, his eyes narrowing as he pulled it out from under the table to show to Leon, "me imagining it doesn't explain why I have this, nor does it explain where it came from." Leon nodded in approval, a dark look of thought crossing his face as he watched the claw with fascination for a moment longer, studying every detail of it and storing it into his memory for future reference.

Cloud shifted, uncomfortable under that scrutinizing gaze, his teeth creeping over his bottom lip and biting down in a nervous habit that he had picked up as a small child all those years ago. Funny, how things like habitual acts remained, yet he couldn't even remember the name of the place that he had grown up in or the faces of he people that had cared for him.

Much to Cloud's relief, Leon finally tore his gaze away from the blonde's hand, his piercing eyes shifting now to Cloud's face with the promise of more questions yet to come. He sighed a little at that aspect, and briefly wondered if he was going to be able to get a moment of peace to himself with Leon asking him everything from 'what is your name' to 'what did you do last night before I found you.'

They were respectable questions, he supposed, but it didn't change the fact that it was annoying, and that he was tired from his first large meal in some time, and would much rather crawl back into that little room and –

"Is there anything else? Did you see anything or hear anything when it happened?"

"No." The answer came out more rapidly than he would have liked, his voice rushed and hurried as he shook his head to emphasize his point. Leon didn't need to know about _that _part of what had happened; at least, not yet. The voice that he had heard that night still stayed fresh in his mind, and he shrugged it off with a shiver down his spine and a graceful arching of his shoulders.

It wasn't important, was it? It was more than likely just his imagination or the daze of pain playing tricks with his mind, making him hear these things that weren't really there and remember people that were long since dead and gone.

That was all that it was. It was nothing more, nothing less; just something that his mind had worked up in its delirious state and from the pain that had been racking through his body.

Somehow, he was having a hard time convincing himself, even after repeating it over and over again.

An awkward silence had fallen between them, Cloud only realizing it when it was shattered by the sound of a chair scraping against the kitchen tile and Leon's boots hitting the floor in a steady beat as he stepped toward the doorway of the apartment. Blinking in surprise, Cloud scrambled to get to his feet as well, the blonde spinning around and staring, dumbfounded, at the elder man.

"Where are you going?" A cold glare and a small shrug answered him, Leon tugging his leather jacket from the rack beside the door and pulling it on, his back to Cloud as he spoke.

"I need to visit someone. Stay here and rest; Sora should be home soon."

And with that, the door was shut, leaving Cloud to stare at the corroded wood with questions swimming in his mind and a frown creasing his full lips.**

* * *

**

_This chapter had more of a lighter air to it than the previous two chapters, and was more of a filler chapter and an opportunity for me to open up key plot points that will come into effect as the story progresses. Updates should occur more frequently, and if not, I give permission for someone to slap me. Review if you have any constructive comments to toss out at me, please. _


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